The therapeutic use of antibodies is generally limited to: (a) imimunotherapy where a specific antibody directed against a discreet antigen is used to counter the effect of that antigen. Examples include using an antitoxin administered to neutralize a toxin, or antibody against an infectious agent to interrupt the pathophysiological process induced by that target organism; (b) the administration, often iv, of high levels of antibody (gamma globulin therapy) to compensate for transient or permanent immune deficiency; and (c) monoclonal antibody therapy to combat cancer, certain autoimmune disorders and metabolic diseases. In all these cases, antibody is provided in relatively high concentrations for the purpose of having that antibody combine directly with its target antigen to render that antigen inoperable, non-infectious or neutralized. For example, Gamnimune.TM. (Bayer Biological) contains 50 mg protein (immunoglobin) per mL and normal dosing can be up to 1000 mg/kg body weight. Ganunar--P.TM. I.V. (Aventis Behring) is administered at dosages up to 400 mg/kg body weight. Bayhep B.TM. (Hepatitis B knunoglobulin) (Bayer Biological) is 15-18% protein [immunoglobulin] is administered at dosages of up to 0.6 ml/kg body weight=0.01 g/kg =100 mg/kg. Further, hnogam Rabies--HT.TM. (Aventis Pasteur) is 10-18% protein and is administered at a dosage of 0.133 ml/kg (240 mg/kg) body weight.
Of interest to the present application is the disclosure of co-owned, allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/514,993 which is directed to the administration of anti-ruibeola antibodies for the treatment of symptoms of various central nervous system diseases including autism, multiple sclerosis, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examples therein emonstrated the efficacy of treating the symptoms of those disease states with dosages of from 0.1 mg to 1 mg of anti-rubeola antibody per dose.
While the administration of larger quantities of immunoglobulins is effective in the treatment of many disease states there remains a dosire in the art for alternative methods for treatment of disease states.